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ASU OFF TO INDYThe Arizona State University (#19 Golfweek/#22 Golfstat) men's golf team competes in the NCAA Championships held May 28-31 at Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex, Kampen Course Golf Course (par-72, 7,431 yards) in West Lafayette, Ind. (hosted by Purdue). The 30 schools and six individuals will play 18 holes each day. Live scoring will be available at www.golfstat.com. The Sun Devils have won two NCAA titles, in 1990 under then-head coach and 2002 ASU Hall of Fame inductee Steve Loy, and in 1996 under current head coach Randy Lein. In the past 15 years (since Lein took over the ASU duties) ten different team champions have been crowned and Lein is the only coach to have two individual champions in that time (Alejandro Canizares in 2003 and Todd Demsey in 1993). ASU also has finished in the top six eight times in those 15 years and has qualified for the NCAA Championships in 24 of the past 25 seasons, missing only in 2002, including each of the past six seasons, tied for the fourth-best mark in the nation in that time.

YOUNG TEAMASU's lineup will have three freshmen (Jesper Kennegard, January arrival Stephan Gross and James Byrne), a first-year sophomore (Braxton Marquez who also arrived in January) and the grizzled veteran, Knut Borsheim, who is just a sophomore as well. ASU is expected to be the only team at the NCAA championships without a junior or senior in the lineup and one of three teams playing three freshmen (Oregon and Oklahoma State). Nine teams are expected to play without a freshman.

LINEUP CHATTERFreshman Jesper Kennegard has a 71.76 stroke average in 11 events and is ranked #38 by Golfweek. He has five top-10 finishes and was a first-team All-Pac-10 pick...freshman Stephan Gross has a 72. 55 stroke average and three top-10 finishes...sophomore Knut Borsheim is the only Sun Devil who competed in last year's NCAA Championships. He has a 72.91 stroke average and earned second-team All-Pac-10...sophomore Braxton Marquez has a 73.26 stroke average in six events since joining the team in January...freshman James Byrne has led ASU the past two tournaments as he tied for third at the Pac-10s and has a 72.82 stroke average.

IT WASN'T EASYASU has made the NCAA Championship in the past six seasons and in 15 of 16 seasons under Randy Lein, but it sure isn't getting easier with the 27-team, three-round regional format. Using Golfweek's rankings through the regionals, ninth-ranked Georgia Tech, No. 10 Tennessee, No. 11 Florida State, No. 12 Chattanooga, No. 13 South Carolina, No. 15 Duke, No. 21 Michigan State, No. 22 UNLV and No. 25 Texas Tech all missed this year's championships. Sixteen of the 30 teams did not make the NCAA Championships last year.

THE HEAD COACHRandy Lein added the top accolade in collegiate golf in 1995-96 - the NCAA title - to his collection as the Sun Devils won the title in Chattanooga, Tenn., with a three-stroke victory over UNLV at the Honors Course. In his 16th season as ASU's coach, Lein has guided ASU to 41 tournament victories (including a school record six in 1995-96), eight Pac-10 titles, four NCAA West Regional wins and eight top-10 finishes at the NCAAs including the 1996 title. In addition, Lein has tutored NCAA medalists Todd Demsey and Alejandro Canizares and 14 All-Americans (34 occasions): Todd Demsey (3), Chris Hanell (3), Paul Casey (3), Cade Stone, Chris Stutts, Joey Snyder (2), Scott Johnson (2), Darren Angel (2), Jeff Quinney (3), Matt Jones (2), Chez Reavie (3), Alejandro Canizares (4), Niklas Lemke (3) and Benjamin Alvarado Holley (2). He has won Pac-10 Coach-of-the-Year five times (1993, 1995, 1996, 1999 and 2000) while at ASU and twice at USC (1980 and 1986). Lein (pronounced 'Line') is a 1975 graduate of Cal State Northridge.

ASU'S BEST FRESHMENASU's freshmen trio of Jesper Kennegard, Stephan Gross and James Byrne have a chance to finish in the top 10 for best scoring average by an ASU freshmen. Kennegard's 71.76 stroke average is just .11 off Alejandro Canizares' 2002-03 mark of 71.65 when he won the NCAA title.

START IT OVERBack in 2002, ASU head coach Randy Lein saw ASU's 18-year NCAA championship consecutive streak snapped in a season that had injuries and some bad luck. ASU is back in the saddle with six straight appearances, and to show you how competitive the NCAA men's golf champioships is, that streak already is tied for the sixth-best active streak, as Arizona (1987-2007) had a 21-year streak snapped this year after failing to post a .500 record and not make regionals, while Georgia Tech did not qualify out of regional action after making the NCAAs for 10 straight years (1998-2007).

FAST FACTASU is the only school to win both the men's and women's golf titles in the same season (1990).

CHAMPS FROM THE PAC-10Pac-10 teams ASU (1996), Cal (2004) and Stanford (2007 and 1994) are have won NCAA men's golf titles in the past 15 years. Other Pac-10 teams to win the title are: Stanford (1938, 1939, 1941, 1942, 1946, 1953), UCLA (1988) and Arizona (1992).

NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP APPEARANCESASU has made 15 NCAA Championship appearances in Randy Lein's 16 years (1993-2008), tied for the second-best mark in the nation.

ACADEMICALLYForty six players have earned their undergraduate degrees under 16th-year head coach Randy Lein including former All-Americans such as Alejandro Canizares (B.I.S., Landscape Architecture/Sociology in 2006 and 2003 NCAA champion), Todd Demsey (B.A., Psychology in 1995 and 1993 NCAA Champion) and Jeff Quinney (B.S. Finance in 2002 and 2000 U.S. Amateur Champion).